


Escape To The Country

by Kateis_Cakeis



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Post-Canon, Referenced Period-Typical Homophobia, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-16 23:38:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21044675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kateis_Cakeis/pseuds/Kateis_Cakeis
Summary: It's 1895 and things aren't too great for queer people, so to escape it all, Jacob and Max take a break in the country.Romance ensues.





	Escape To The Country

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GavImp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GavImp/gifts).

> This is for the lovely [deadlysequence!](https://deadlysequence.tumblr.com/)  
Happy Birthday!!! :D!!!

It was May 1895 and Jacob had never seen anything as bad as this. All the raids, the trial…

It felt like a whole other war was brewing, slowly, but it was. People would eventually rise up against all the hatred, against the governments, for deeming them all as wrong and unnatural. Every person that ever scorned them would perish once they gained the freedom to live.

He launched up from his armchair. They couldn’t stay, not while all of this was going on. Two men living in the same house? No, someone would grow suspicious amongst all this chaos. One of the initiates or… whoever else. He couldn’t risk that, not right now.

“What’s wrong, Father?” Emmett asked from the sofa, looking up from his book. He was staying over for a few days as Eleanor organised a surprise for him. According to her, Emmett needed a gift for being such a good husband and father.

Jacob grabbed his coat from where he’d dumped it on the table. “Your Uncle Max and I will be leaving town for a few days. I just remembered George asked us over.”

“Oh, is he getting lonely again?”

“You won’t believe the sorts of letters he sends. Practically begs us to go.”

He huffed a laugh. “If you say so. Enjoy yourself when you’re there.”

“I’m sure we will.”

They wouldn’t be going to see George, but they would be going to a house near him. Jacob’s childhood home. Ever since the Brotherhood had gained enough money, he’d paid someone to clean it every six months. So, it would be in relatively good condition, since it’s last clean was around two months ago.

He found Max sitting on the bench outside, feeding the crows that liked to hop down from the rooftops. Jacob smiled as Max looked to him with loving eyes. He sat down next to him, leaning back.

Sighing, he said, “We should get out of London for a while.”

Max threw the rest of the seeds to the crows. “I think that’s wise.”

“Living in the same house… Someone will finally question it.”

“Better to leave and let it die down.”

“Yes, exactly.” Jacob stared at the birds, who were happily pecking away. He bet they didn’t have any laws stopping crows from loving each other. “There’s my father’s house.”

“The weather is perfect for going further south.” Max turned to him. “When can we go?”

“Right now, if you want.”

He stood, brushing his hands down his coat. “I’d rather escape to the country sooner rather than later.”

Jacob chuckled softly, standing. “Me too. This city hasn’t been kind as of late.”

“No, it has not.”

\--

“It’s nice… this,” Max said, leaning into Jacob.

They were going up the lane that would take them to the house. Right on the outskirts of Crawley. They had taken one of the carriages from a group of Rooks, happily making the journey. It had been quite lovely, sitting on top, enjoying the warm weather. No one knew they would be here, no one but them, and that was a peaceful thought in these times.

When people like them were being hunted.

“It is. Certainly interesting to be back here.”

“I imagine the memories are all flooding back at once.”

He barked a laugh. “I suppose you could describe it that way.” The fields around them had once been filled with giggles of twins racing on their horses. Him and Evie had been so innocent in their childhood. “I miss it, the gentleness of not knowing what the world is.”

Max hummed. “The world is a great deal harsher than most would admit. We’re also fairly privileged, my dear.”

“We are, we get a type of freedom others don’t.” Jacob knew they held much more privilege over others, that they were lucky in certain aspects. Well off, white, men. Normally, that would mean they could have it all. “But love… is an entirely different subject all together.”

“For most, love must mean children. To us, love is exactly what it should be, a commitment to each other for as long as it lasts.” Max bit at his lip, shrugging. “To love freely, it will never be possible.”

“Maybe one day, for future generations. I hope they get a chance.” Jacob gripped at the reins, about to say more, when the house finally came into view. A modest cottage, with a lot of land surrounding it. The old stables were off to the left too. All abandoned, without the love it had once enjoyed. “Shit. I can’t believe I’m back here.”

Max placed a gentle hand atop Jacob’s. “It’s very beautiful.”

“Full of memories and completely abandoned. It’s our kind of place.”

“Indeed.”

Jacob whipped the horses, spurring them into a trot. He glanced at Max, smiling. “I’m looking forward to spending time with you, far from all the chaos of London.”

Max huffed a laugh, staring into the distance in disbelief. “Our last break was ‘73, wasn’t it?”

“If you could call that a break.”

“Then… in that case, this will be good for us.” He smiled, patting Jacob’s hands. “It’s probably well deserved.”

Jacob laughed, shaking his head. “After everything? Of course it’s well deserved.”

Max knocked his shoulder with his own. “Come on, let’s get to the house.”

\--

Jacob unlocked the door, pushing it open slowly. A wave of unbridled emotions hit him in an instant. Walking in, the entranceway was as open as he’d remembered. With the staircase off to the side, too often had he and Evie ignored it in favour of vaulting over the banister, running to their father whenever he needed them.

It was probably the grandest part of the house. The rest of the rooms were cosy and rather small. But this one hallway, this entrance, was the house proclaiming to be something it wasn’t. As if it wanted to be a stately home. But, no, it was merely an abandoned cottage. Everything within it was the same as how it had been thirty years ago, when they had spontaneously left.

“It’s even more beautiful inside, my dear,” Max said, placing a hand at his back.

Jacob grinned. “It provided endless fun for me and Evie when we were children. We tried to climb every inch of walls.”

He barked a laugh. “Of course you did.”

Jacob ran to the stairs, sprinting up them, gripping onto the banister. “Just being here makes me feel like a child again.” It truly did, the house, Crawley… There were only youthful memories, which in turn, brought out that small childlike piece of him. He vaulted over the banister, just like he used to, landing on the solid wood flooring with perfect form.

“Careful there, you’re not as spry as you used to be, Sir Frye.” Maxwell laughed to himself, approaching Jacob and looping an arm around him.

Jacob chuckled, half-heartedly slapping Max on the arm. “God, I’m not even fifty yet. You make it sound like I’ll break a bone.”

“They do get fragile with age.”

“The only thing I ever fear breaking, is your heart. Which I’ll never do, so I have nothing to fear.” He smiled, moving in Max’s hold to kiss him on the cheek.

Max huffed an amused breath, his cheeks flushing slightly. “That was ever so slightly cliché, my dear.”

“I aim to be that romantic sap that features in your performances.”

“Darling… that character tends to be utterly and completely based off you.”

Jacob threw his head back, laughing loudly. After a moment, he calmed down a little, brushing happy tears away. “Of course, why did I ever doubt it?”

“Because you don’t realise how much of a romantic you are?” Max gestured vaguely around them. “You do understand that what you essentially proposed here is that we have a romantic few days away from the city, right?”

“Oh…” He supposed it did feel like that. They were escaping from the harsh consequences of a high-profile figure being caught, but bringing them to the country, where they could be alone and safe, was something else entirely. He grinned. “That was my plan all along, love.”

“Some people are hopeless romantics, you, my dear,” Max placed a firm hand at his chest, “are an accidental romantic. You always have been.”

“Really? I surely can’t have done it _that _often.”

Max smirked, stepping away from Jacob. He patted his left coat pocket. “Do you want the alphabetical list…” He patted his right coat pocket, “or the chronological order list?”

“You don’t actually have lists… do you?”

“No…” He shrugged. “But I _can _recite each and every time.”

Jacob shook his head, slowly. How… was this possible? “I think we need to sit for this.”

“Oh, most definitely, it’s a _long_ list.”

They stared at each other for a brief moment before descending into laughter. If they followed any trend in romance, it was that their type of love was so chaotic in every way, that it was unbreakable. They found joy in everything, and when they did have any sort of argument, it was resolved by forgetting the matter with a hug. Accidental romance… it could only happen to them.

Max did go through the list, speaking of each incident with his dramatic flair. And he wasn’t wrong about it being long either, they were sat in the living room, laughing and giggling away for an hour and a half.

These few days, or however long they would spend here, was probably one of the best ideas Jacob had ever had.

\--

Max slipped under the covers, resting his book on his lap. “This has been a lovely day, my dear.”

Jacob smiled, feeling overly glad. After they had made it through the list, they had gone out into Crawley to get a few bits and pieces for their time here. And they had cooked up quite the dinner, relaxing in the living room (with the fire on) afterwards.

The evening had to end, of course, and their long journey paired with rushing around a kitchen, had drained most of their energy.

Now, they were in one of the many bedrooms. The good thing about a country house was that there was always quite a few, meaning Jacob could avoid any rooms that felt untouchable. He’d distracted himself with old memories while Max had gotten ready for bed, which had ruined Jacob’s plans.

Not that he couldn’t recover them. Swiftly enough, he got himself ready, pretending that nothing was out of the ordinary. If he could be an accidental romantic, then he could be purposefully sexual.

He knelt on the bed, smirking. “You know… it seems a shame to be in the middle of nowhere and not… take advantage of it.”

Max cast his book aside in a single second, throwing the covers off himself. He pressed himself further against the headboard, tilting his head. “Well, darling, might as well take advantage then.”

Jacob crawled up to Max, straddling his lap. “Might as well,” he whispered, deepening his voice just in the way Max liked it, before kissing him passionately, catalysing their night immensely.

\--

Jacob breathed out slowly, closing his eyes. These days had been so… loving and beautiful. There were no worries about someone popping in through the window, or worries that someone would notice how closely they sat. It was pure freedom. Something they had never experienced before.

Currently, he was curled up on Max’s lap. They were going to do something more productive today, like taking a walk (something that would be risky, considering the many dog walkers they had seen around). But they had ended up on the sofa, relaxing quietly. Max was idly brushing his fingers through Jacob’s hair, making him feel so delightfully at peace. Max was still reading the book he’d picked up (Jacob had gotten bored of his), and he was completely immersed. It had been fun to watch him for the last hour.

“We could go on that walk, before the afternoon escapes us,” Jacob said, smiling slightly.

Max tore his gaze away from his book. “And risk being seen?”

“I see your point, but we’re in a remote location, at least compared to London.”

“My dear, we came here to escape reality. I don’t want to take that risk.”

Jacob folded his arms. “Our whole lives are a risk. We’re safer here, we could… be like everyone else.”

“Oh… darling.” Max brushed his fingers through his hair once again. “I’m afraid in the last month I’ve become more fearful. We’re getting older and there are a lot of strong young people who would rather see people like us dead.”

“We’re still strong, age hasn’t stopped us yet.” He stood up, smiling. He wanted to do more than merely sit in the house all day, like they had done since arriving. “How about the garden? The fence and the trees are tall, no one will see.”

Max put his book down, shaking his head with a small smile upon his lips. “Alright. You’ve persuaded me.”

Jacob grasped Max’s hands, pulling him up. “I always win in the end.” He leant close, pecking his cheek.

“You do _not_.”

“I do _too._” He grinned, chuckling at Max’s narrowed eyes. “Come on, love, let’s not get caught up in a petty argument. You know I’m right.”

Max shook his head, huffing an amused breath. “Okay, darling, if you say so.”

“As it so happens, I _do _say so.”

He laughed as Max rolled his eyes. One of his favourite things to do was annoy Max a little bit, it amused him to no end.

They made their way into the garden. The air was warm and calming. Jacob grinned, grasping Max’s arm, tugging them to the ground. They fell onto the soft grass below, and while Jacob sniggered, Max snorted with laughter. It was always, _always_, good to know they could still make each other laugh and light up with joy. Even after all these years, through the bad, the worst, the good, and the best.

Jacob would never not be hopelessly in love.

They moved towards one another, lying close. Holding hands, staring up at the sky. It was awfully romantic, and ever so peaceful. Simply laying there, silent, relaxing with his love right beside him. He pushed his head up against Max’s, sighing out blissfully.

“I love you, my sweetheart.”

Max squeezed his hand. “And I love you, my dear.”

They lay there for hours on end, pressed close, soaking up the sun. Out of all the times, all the memories with Max, that day, one of the simplest of all, was his favourite.

In the end, love persisted against the vile actions of society.


End file.
